The Philadelphia Union handled the Chicago Fire in Round 1 of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Now, they go head to head with a rival they have a storied history with, New York City Football Club.
The Rubber Match
This will be the 3rd playoff meeting between the two clubs over the last 5 seasons. In 2021, the Union were surging to their first-ever MLS Cup Final. However, a COVID outbreak struck the team days before the match would be played. Ultimately, the Union would find itself down 11 key players and would heartbreakingly fall to NYCFC at home, 2-1.
However, in 2022, the Union would get revenge. Once again facing off at Subaru Park, the Union and NYCFC put on another classic. Julian Carranza, Daniel Gazdag, and Cory Burke would net the 3 goals in a 3-1 victory that would send the Union to the 2022 MLS Cup. When Burke scored the game-icing goal, Subaru Park was shaking.
Now, the Union and NYCFC will face off for the third time, with each team holding a win. In round 1, NYCFC needed all 3 games of the series to escape past Charlotte. Now, the bracket goes into win-or-go-home mode.
A Bunch of New Characters
While this would be the 3rd playoff meeting in a short span, both teams look very different than just 3 seasons ago. Since their meeting in the Eastern Conference Final in 2022, both teams have fired their head coach and revamped their roster. While simultaneously holding on to veteran anchors.
For NYCFC, they still lean on the playmaking of Maxi Moralez. While Moralez is not the stat sheet stuffer he once was, he still produced 2 goals and 10 assists in his 34 games in 2025. As far as newcomers, the Union know NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese very well. Freese is a Union homegrown talent and served as backup to Andre Blake for many seasons.
Looking at the Union’s side, only 3 starters remain from the final in 2022: Kai Wagner, Jacob Glesnes, and Andre Blake. Ale Bedoya is a focal leader but was sidelined with injury in the 2022 playoff run and finds himself in a limited bench role with the Union in 2025.
Despite the array of new players for the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinal, these two sides still know each other very well.
2025 Matchup
This will be the 3rd matchup between the Union and NYCFC this season, and the margins are razor-thin. Both regular-season meetings ended with a 1-0 victory for the home side. Most recently, a 1-0 win in Subaru Park for the Union on October 4th. That win ended up being the decisive 3 points that the Union needed to clinch their second Supporters’ Shield in club history.
With the matchup taking place at Subaru Park, the Union has the advantage. However, they have had a lengthy break. Since the Union took only two games to handle the Chicago Fire, they have not played since November 1st. In total, they will have had 22 days off between their conclusion of round 1 and the Eastern Semifinal. For NYCFC, they eliminated Charlotte on November 7th.
Now, in the sport, longer breaks are not the worst thing. However, any long break in action can stunt momentum. Watch to see if NYCFC tries to exploit this and tries and grab an early goal.
With MLS in the middle of an international break, the Union and NYCFC will have to wait until the 23rd to face off. The winner will see themselves off to the Eastern Conference Final.
Both teams will be eager to push the new era of their clubs into MLS’s final 4.
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